Starting device for explosive-engines.



W. L. MARE.

STARTING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1913.

1,104,,058.u Patented July 21, 1914,

WALTER L. MARB, 0F FLINT, MICHIGAN;

STARTING DEVICE" FOR EXPLOSIVE-ENGI'N ES.

Specification of Letters latent.

Patented July 21, 1914.

Application filed June .21, 1913. Serial No. 775,035.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, L- M45 3, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Flint, in the-county of Genesee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting Devices for Explosive-Engines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a starting device for explosive engines of the type wherein the motor is rotated until it has picked up in such manner as to ran, and includes means for automatically maintaining itself in operative condition.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly V of Fig. 1, showing a detail of a compressor mechanism.

Referring to the drawings a motor of any preferred type has a fly wheel 1 that is housed in, a casing 2 and is operatively connected to a change-speed mechanism of any preferred type indicated at 3 that may be conveniently mounted in a gear casing 4:.

A member 5 of the change-speed mechanism that is always operated by the motor, is connected through a reduction train indicated at 6 with one member 7 of a clutch. The latter is of the friction type preferably and the companion member 8 that may be shifted in and out of engagement with the member 7, is non-rotatable and longitudi nally reciprocable on a countershaft 9. An

extension of the shaft 9 constitutes the member 8 isnormally thrown into engage ment with the member 7 by a spring 17 that encircles the shaft 9 in compression between a stop collar 18 and a grooved hub 19 of said member. This spring operates in opposition to the movement of a. lever 20 thatis pivoted in the casing 4 and is en gaged atone end in the groove of'the hub Y 19 and is articulated at the other end by a link 2Lwith a piston 22. The latter is re ciprocable a cylinder 23 whose interior is always .in communication with the tank 13 through a pressure pipe 24.

By regulation of the tension of the spring 17, the member 8 moves out of engagement whenever the pressure in the tank 13 excoeds that for which 'the spring is set.

A clutch collar 25 is .non-rotatably se-' cured onthe shaft'9 in such position that when teeth 26 of ratchet or detent type engage with corresponding teeth 27 on a shifting sleeve 28, slidable on said shaft, a pinion 29 on the latter meshes with gear teeth 30 cut in he fly Wheel 1.

The forked end of a lever 31 that is pivoted in the casing 4, engages a peripheral groove in the sleeve 28 at one end and at the other is coupled by a push rod 32 with a valve arm 33. The latter controls a valve 34 which is placed in a by-pass 35 around the check valve 16. The teeth 26 and 27 of the clutch collar and'slide sleeve are so disposed that when the pinion 29 tends to drive the fly wheel 30 the parts stay in engagement, but when the fly wheel teeth tend to move more rapidly than the pinion 29, as the motor picks up, the teeth 26 and 27 cam apart, leaving the connections and valve 34 as indicated in Fig. 1, that is in shut-off position.

As a matter of detail, the compressor 11 may have a rotary valve as indicated at 36, driven from the crank shaft 10 by sprocket and chain connections indicated at 37 or by other positive means whereby the valve is held in timed relation to the crank shaft.

It is to be understood that the valve is so disposed that the compressor, when driven, forces air into the tank through the check valve and that when the by-pass valve is open, the compressed air in the tank tends picked up and thereby thrown out the pin ion through the. cam action of its clutch parts. If thls has causedthe pressure of the tank to fall below the predetermined point, the friction clutch is thrown in by the resultant action of the spring so that the compressor is driven from the change-speed train of the engine until the predetermined pressure in the tank is reestablished when the spring is overpowered by the pressure in the air cylinder.

-The device is adaptable for use with motors of different type and with change speed mechanism in various forms; is positive in action and does not add greatly to the weight of an automobile or motor boat to which it may be applied. It aflords a positive rotary movement to the engine and does not require any change in the ignition ,or primin system of the latter.

tank, means controlled by the compressed air in the tank and adapted to operatively connect" the compressor with the change speed mechanism for forcing air into the tank, manually operable means for connecting the compressor to rotate the fly wheel and to admit air to the compressor as a mo tor from the tank, adapted to automatically release the fly wheel from the compressor when the speed of the fly wheel exceeds the speed of'the compressor. 1

'2. The combination of an explosive engine, a fly wheel therefor, and change speed mechanism driven thereby, with a compressed air tank, a compressor motor whose cylinders are in communication with the tank, means automatically preventing return of air from the tank to the compressor, manually operable means adapted to operatively.

connect the fly wheel and the compressor and to simultaneously open communication from the tank to the compressor cylinders, adapted to automatically release. the compressor and close such communication when the flywheel speed exceeds the compressor speed, and means controlled by the pressure of air in the tank and adapted to automati-i cally connect the compressor with the change speed mechanism when the pressure in the tank falls below a predetermined oint. 9

3. The combination of an explosive en gine, a fly wheel therefor and change speed mechanism operated thereby, with an; air compressor and motor, a countershaft turning with the compressor, a pressure tank in speed trainmember, a sprin normally throw the friction c utch into en communication with the compressor through a check valve, clutch mechanism adapted to positively connect the compressor and fly wheel and adapted to automatically release the compressor when the fly wheel exceeds the speed thereof, means for operating the clutch adapted to simultaneously open communication between the compressor and the air tank and a clutch for coupling the compressor to the change-speed mechanism adapted to automatically release the compressor when the pressure in the tank exceeds a predetermined point.

' 4. The combination of an explosive engine, fly wheel and change-speed mechanism .driven therefrom, with a 'countershaft, a

combined air'compressor and motorcoupled to the countershaft, a pressure tank in communication with the compressor through a check valve, a clutch adapted to throw the countershaft into operative connection with the fly wheel when shifted in one direction and to be thrown out in the opposite direction automatically when the speed of the fly wheel exceeds the speed of the clutch mechanism," means for throwing the clutch in, adapted to simultaneously open communication between the compressor and the air tank to operate the former as a motor, a

friction clutch adapted to operatively connect the countershaft with the change-speed mechanism, a spring adapted to normally move the friction clutch into engagement and means controlled by the pressure of air in the tank and adapted to open the clutch against the action of the spring when the pressure in the tank reaches a predetermined point.

5. The combination of an engine 'flywheel having peripheral gear teeth, a change speed mechanism driven thereby, with a countershaft, a combined compressor and" motor coupled to the countershaft, a compressed air tank, a pipe line connecting the compressor with the tank, a checkvalvein the pipe line preventing the return. of air :from the tank to the compressor, a bypass around the check valve a manually operable valve controlling the bypass, a pinion rotatable and longitudinally movable on the countersha'ft adapted to mesh with the gear teeth on the fly wheel, clutch members adapted tocouple the pinion with the counter shaft when it is in mesh with the fly wheel and to throw the inion out of mesh with the fly wheel when t e speed of the latter exceeds-the pinion speed, manually operable means adapted. to simultaneously throw the pinion intogear and to open the by-pass I valve, a fricti'on clutch on the countershaft,

one of whose members is connected through speed reduction mechanism with a changega'gement to drive the countershaft fromthe adapted to,

change-speed mechanism, a pressure cylinder constantly in communication with the pressure tank and a piston in the cylinder operatively connected to the friction clutch 5 and adapted to open the latter in opposition to the spring when the ressure in the tank reaches a predetermined point.

6. The combination of an engine, a fly wheel therefor, and a change speed mecha- 10 m'sm connected to the engine, a compressed air receptacle; a combined compressor and a motor in communication with the receptacle, means controlled by the pressure of the contentsof the receptacle and adapted to oper- 15 atively connect the compressor with the change speed mechanism to force air into the receptacle, manually operable means for 1 connecting the compressor to turn the fly wheel and to admit air tothe compressor as a motor from the tank, said means being 20 adapted to automatically disconnect the fly wheel from the com ressor when the speed of the latter falls be ow the speed of the fly wheel. y

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature 26 in presence of two witnesses.

' WALTER'L. MARE. Witnesses:

MILTON PoLLooK, W. L. NELSON. 

